St. George, Grenada – A Virginia couple, Ralph Hendry and Kathy Brandel, who lived on their catamaran yacht named Simplicity in the winter months, is feared dead after three escaped prisoners allegedly used their yacht to cruise through the Caribbean and were later captured by authorities. The couple was last seen by a neighbor in the St. George area on the island of Grenada. They had just arrived two weeks prior and usually docked their vessel in the waters of the southern Caribbean nation.
According to reports, the same day three fugitives – Ron Mitchell, Trevon Robertson, and Abita Stanislaus – escaped from the South St. George Police Station and made their way to St. Vincent via a yacht docked in the St. George area. The escaped prisoners were recaptured by authorities in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The men had been previously arrested in December on charges related to a robbery case.
Authorities are currently investigating leads that suggest the missing couple may have been killed in the process. The Simplicity Yacht was found abandoned off a St. Vincent beach, and evidence of apparent violence was discovered by a “good Samaritan” who contacted authorities after boarding the boat and not finding the couple on board.
The Salty Dawg Sailing Association, to which the couple belonged, released a statement expressing condolences to the families and offering assistance in any way possible. Bob Osborn, the president of the association, stated that in all his years of cruising the Caribbean, he had never heard of anything like this. The investigation into the missing couple and the prisoner escape is ongoing.
The Royal Grenada Police Force revealed that Mitchell had also been charged with rape, attempted rape, and indecent assault in addition to charges related to the robbery case. The circumstances surrounding the disappearance of Hendry and Brandel remain unclear, and authorities are working to uncover more details as the investigation continues.